KARACHI: PTI Chair­man Imran Khan on Saturday said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be “tested” through a confidence vote in a tit-for-tat move similar to the one he himself had faced as the premier in April.

In an appearance on Hum News show Hum Meher Bokhari Kay Sath, when asked if the incumbent prime minister could be asked to obtain a vote of confidence from the National Assembly, Mr Khan said: “Absolutely, we will test him.”

The PTI chief said Shehbaz had tested the PTI so now the party would turn the tables on the prime minister, Dawn.com reported.

He said the party would hash out the details of the move in a party meeting on Sunday and carry out full planning for not only the trust vote but also “other plans to fully thrust them in a testing situation now”.

‘Will follow the Constitution’

Meanwhile, President Arif Alvi said he would follow the Constitution if asked to take a “vote of confidence” from PM Shehbaz.

In an interview on Bol News show Bas Bohat Hogaya, Mr Alvi said the Constitution clearly mentioned the way forward in such situations.

“This is speculation that they (PTI) will ask [me to ask PM Shehbaz to take a confidence vote] and I will do it,” he said. “Whatever the constitution says will be the way forward.”

If a president thinks the legislature does not have confidence in the government, then he can ask for a vote of confidence, he said.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2023